Sunnydale Thought the Mirror
by The wander
Summary: The Scoobies make a wish, it changes everything. One of my old Fic's wil be working on it as I have time.
1. Chapter 1

Title: "Sunnydale, Through the Mirror"

Rating: Pg-13 America scale

Thanks to GreyWizard for the Bata.

Sunnydale had been gone for 5 years.

And the Scoobies were finally getting together for the first time since their hometown had basically been flushed out of existence, all coming back from wherever they had scattered to across the globe.

Buffy had been in the middle of Rome with the current love of her life, the Immortal. God, what a waste he had turned out to be. A self-centered creep, who had manipulated Buffy into pushing away her friends, in order to more easily control her.

One day, she had looked around and realized that they were all gone. She just had HIM. None of her friends in the City were really hers; only his, who watched her for him. And God help the poor man who just wanted to ask her a question about something, like where was the bus station? The way his friends acted, it was like she was going to sleep with the guy.

It had finally gotten to be too much, and she had just packed her bags and gone to tell him it was over, only to find him with another woman. When Buffy had questioned why she couldn't even talk to someone else, while he felt he could sleep around, his stating that he was the man and could have other women, if he so desired but that his women couldn't sleep around, she had gone ballistic. As she stormed out of the estate he owned, she wondered how long it would take his immortality to heal that imprint her size five had left in his nuts.

When she got to England, she found out that she had been out of the loop for a long time.

Angel was dead, killed while killing a Dragon in Downtown LA.

And another kick in the guts was the revelation that Spike had been with him, and had died again, this time saving some people from a group of slug demons. It was said he had been having a grand old time 'til the end, doing what he enjoyed most in life, fighting. He lost his life there but helped win the war.

They both had. They had managed to hold the line 'til help had came. Xander and a group of Slayers from Africa had shown up, after Cordy had came to him in a dream. Against Council orders, he had gone to LA, and when he was called before them, he had told them that he had promised Angel that he would be there when he died.

And he had been. He never once indicated that he liked Angel, but he respected him more than most.

Xander, for the most part, had been alone after Sunnydale.

He had seen more of the world than he thought actually existed. He had been to dark and lonely places, and to busy cities. He had done dark things, too. The Council would send him to talk to parents about their girls, the Potentials who had been Called. If they didn't want to give them up, he was told to buy them. If that didn't work, he was to steal them.

At first he didn't do it, and then he got a call from Giles' office, from Andrew, who told him that Giles wanted him to do as he was told; to get those Slayers, because the needs of the world meant more than his feelings. So, he did what he was told to do.

He had even killed one girl's parents when he had learned that they planned to sell her to a necromancer, and had made it look like demons had done it. That incident had bothered him more than anything else he had done; he could feel darkness growing in him now.

And because of that, the Council sent him on an extended vacation. When he returned, they began using him as a control for the Slayers. Within a few short weeks, he had gone from their friend and protector to the Enforcer looking for them. They hid and looked away from him as he walked in. The new ones were too scared to even talk to him.

That was what hurt. He was doing what he was told to do for the world, and then, to find out he scared his girls was a bitter blow.

He begun drinking more and more. Last week, a demon came up to him in a bar and offered him a job. A contract assassination. They wanted him to stop the Council, the one that had been sending him out to take little girls away from loving families and then watch them become hard and unforgiving things. They hated him and he didn't blame them one bit.

He hadn't decided on whether he'd accept the contract on the Council yet.

After the anniversary reunion, he would make up his mind.

Ironically, Willow and Faith had ended up having the same problem: unfaithful lovers. Willow had thought something was going on with Kennedy over the last year. They started having problems around the same time Faith and Robin did.

One night, after patrol, Faith and Willow had came back to Faith's home. They were intending to talk about a demon they had killed earlier that night over some drinks, but when they walked in, they were shocked to find Kennedy was there with Robin. And they were not talking.

The only thing that kept Kennedy and Robin from ending up on the moon that night had been Faith. She kicked both their asses out the door. Literally.

That had been the finale straw with Willow. She started to get back into the deep dark magics that she had left a long time ago. She and Faith would team up and fight demons more and more often. Her dark was side coming out more and more frequently.

No one said anything about it, but everyone could see it. She could even see it herself, but didn't stop her. Faith tried to, one night, and ended up in the hospital. After that, even Faith stayed away from her.

Today would be the first time the Scoobies would be together in long time. And it was in the spot that they all thought of as the place that it all went wrong. Sunnydale. Looking out over the crater, you could still see bits and pieces of the town. But there was no way to make out what was what out there.

Giles couldn't or wouldn't come to this place. No one knew where Oz was, and Angel and most of the Fang Gang were dead. All of them felt defeated by that.

So here the Scoobies stood, what was left of them, watching a dead town under a blazing sun and praying for it to end.

They just wanted to go home.

To rest.

To start over.

"I've got a bottle in my room," Xander told the two girls.

"Sounds good to me. Buffy?" Willow asked looking at her friend.

"Yeah, me too."

The trio met in Xander's room later. Xander had his Jar out on his room's small dining table when they came by. It was a clay jar he had picked up in the Middle East several years before. It was supposed to be magical, but the Council said it was nothing but a clay jar.

He had lost three Slayers getting it from a demon, and the Council thought it was no big deal to them. Giles had not even returned his phone calls about it. He was too busy; at least, that was what Andrew had said.

All the field teams had begun to wonder if anyone really talked to the Council anymore. The only person anyone ever talked to was Andrew and he would always say they were busy and call back later. Usually, later never came.

As they sat around, drinking and looking at the jar, they talked and made up a little for the way they had been over the last few years.

Buffy said how she wished it was different; that she could start over.

To be different than she was know. More like Willow - to have a brain that could have done anything she wanted. That she could have had friends like Xander and Jessie, people that were with her forever and never gave up on her.

And Willow said how she wanted to be more like Xander, someone who always knew what to say and who could talk to anyone; who never worried about what people though of him. To have fun with the world; see the fun side of it.

Even in the dark, Xander had been able to see the fun of it all, but lately, he had lost that gift. Xander wished he had the powers to make a difference, to be a great person. Maybe like being a Slayer. To not be what he had become - a killer. To not be controlled the way the Council had come to control him. To be free of that. To be like Buffy; the Council had long given up on controlling her. She went where she wanted and Slayed or not, as she wanted. Maybe even be like Faith, for she had the same freedoms.

They all wished to be different, to start over, at the same time.

And then, something occurred that had not happened in thousand years - an alignment of stars and planets.

The Jar, the one that didn't have any power, began to glow, then flared with a bright light.

When the light once again dimmed, Xander was somewhere else. He just didn't know it.

Xander sat in the back seat of the car. He was going to his new home.

A nice lady was taking him in. No one in the foster care system usually would take in a teenager, most only wanted babies. So, getting a home was great, he supposed.

It had been two months since his mom's death; a vampire gotten her one night not long after he had been Called. Merrick, his Watcher, had told him not to tell anyone what he was.

And like a dumb ass, he did. Three nights later, he had to stake his own mom. When social services finally got him, he had been living on the streets for a few weeks. Merrick was dead. He thought he would have killed him, if Lothos hadn't got him first.

Well, he was going to a new home, now. No Watchers, no Vampires. Nothing. He was free. He wasn't a Slayer anymore.

And that was the funny part. Merrick had told him that he should not have been the Slayer, anyway. That only girls got to be one. Lucky them. He assumed the Powers had gotten in trouble for being sexist or something. It didn't matter. He had the Slayer dreams, even had the mole, but it had been cut off a while back, when one vampire got just a little too close. He had learned that girl Slayers got cramps when they were around Vampire. Him, he got twinges in a place guys didn't want to have twinge. Didn't hurt, but then again, it didn't feel good, either.

Looking up as he passed the outskirts of his new home he saw a sign.

"WELCOME TO SUNNYDALE"

Xander's POV

School.

Well at lest I didn't have a lot explaining to do, once I got there. My new Foster Mom was the Principal there. She was a nice lady - divorced from one of the assistant principals, who couldn't get over the fact that she got the job instead of him.

He was a jerk, too. Found out I was staying with his ex and decided to make my life Hell. I just hope tomorrow will be better. The whole day started off wrong. I had that weird dream again: the one with a bat-faced vampire rising out of a pool of blood, and people dying. Me, being one of them. Just the kind of dream you need to start your day with.

It was a really strange day. It was the first time that I had been in school in a long time. Joyce had me follow her to her office, to fill out all the paperwork involved.

Walking into the school, I could see all the cliques just standing there in the Quad. Over there on one side were the cheerleaders, all spiffy in their designer clothes with the Ken dolls that play football. Over on that side were the nerds, sitting around talking about computers and the latest Sci-Fi shows. In the back were the slackers, skating around with the baggy clothes. And in the middle were the regular kids, just milling around. You could see who they identified themselves with by which side they stood closer to.

Once in the office, I looked out the window 'til Joyce got all the paperwork together. As I watched, a redheaded girl was skateboarding down the sidewalk. Our eyes met for a second, and in that second, she ran full force into the handrail outside the office.

My first thought was 'OHHH, that's gotta hurt!', followed by 'At least someone's got a worse day than mine.' She was laid out there for a few minutes and some of the cheerleaders had some words with her. I couldn't hear what was said, but it was not pretty. Then two other girls walked up to her. One, a blonde, was kind of mousy and plain, with a long skirt and the whole nine yards. Poor girl would burn up if it got too hot. The other girl had brown hair and was skinny. The three of them started to talk and did not spilt up to go the cliques around the campus. They just sat in the middle and talked. The redhead said something and they all looked up at the window I was looking out at the same time. Then they looked at each other.

By then Joyce had all the paperwork ready to go, so off I went, to fill them out. Soon, I would be a student here.

Oh, Joy...

Out in the quad.

Willow was skating in this morning. Usually, she walked in but she had the board, so why not try it? It looked so easy. Well, it was 'til you had to stop, turn, or slow down. Easy, huh?

She was moving along at a good clip when she glanced at Ms. Summers' office. She was the best principle she had ever had. Everything had gone smoothly when she had taken over last year. Even when she divorced the Troll, who was still hanging around here, doing what ever assistant principals do. The skate boarding was going easier now than it had at the start.

At least it was until she saw him. He didn't look as bad as Mom said he would. Some of the other mothers had been talking about protesting him coming her, but Ms. Summers went to each of them and talked to them. Also, the Mayor's office called them and the Mayor talked to each of them personally.

So, here he was. And she was paying so much attention to him that she hit the handrails. With a great 'Oooofffff!', she flipped over the handrails, landing on her back.

And there were Harmony and Aura.

"Rosenberg," Harmony said looking down at her. "I know you're street trash, but do you mind not laying on the side walk?" Then both of the girls stepped over her on their way into the quad.

"Hey, Harmony." Willow called. "Larry said you can pick up your panties anytime; you left them in the back of his car. But he wanted you to hurry; they're stinking up the car."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU SKANK!" Harmony yelled back at the redhead.

"Nothing," Willow said, as she saw the troll standing in the shadows. He would never hurt one of the cheerleaders, but her, he would send to hell.

"That's what I thought," the blonde cheerlead said. "Now get. You stay away from me, or I will let every one in on your little secret." Willow's eyes widened, but knew if Harmony told, she would be telling on herself.

"You got it," Willow said, as Aura looked at her friend, the question clear on her face.

"We both keep out mouth shut on that right?" Willow went to say.

"Yes, now go away."

"Ok, gone."

Just then, the rest of her friends walked up. Buffy stood and helped her redheaded friend up, while Jessie just watched the cheerleaders walk away.

"Will, you need to watch out about her; she's a Psycho." Jessie said.

"Yeah, Wills," Buffy said, "she's out for your blood."

"Don't worry, I've got a handle on it. But I do need your help."

"What now?" Buffy asked,

"I need a good note taker in English, and since we have the same class, I was wondering if you could give me a hand?"

"Sure, if you help me with the math class work."

"No problem. You take the notes, I do the math, and we all work out."

"What about me?" Jessie asked.

"Well, You could take Gym for us," Willow said.

"Ah, yes, the joys of sweating and showering with 30 girls. Couldn't they throw one boy in the class, just one time?"

"Nope, they're just funny that way."

"Buffy, you're bringing me down."

"Hey, heard about the new guy?"

"Yes, heard a lot." Buffy said

"Yep, he was arrested for murder, they say," Jessie said.

"Yes, but they let him go," Buffy said,

"Well, he's watching us, right now," Willow said looking up at the window, the other two girls following her look to see the dark hair guy standing there, watching them. There was something in his eyes, something that seemed like they may have seen to much. They quickly looked away.

Jessie was the first one to talk.

"Cute. And a bad boy on top of that."

"Yes, a very bad boy."

Just then, a page came over the intercom.

"Buffy Madison, please report to the Principal's office."

"Well, got to go," Buffy said as she got up.

Buffy walked to the Principal's office, wondering what she had done.

With her mom, she didn't do much, she just did her home work and listened to her mom talk about how great high school was. That was one of the only reasons she was allowed to go to the Bronze; another was that other people from school were there and she could meet and greet them, and maybe suck up enough to get on the Cheerleading squad.

That's what her mom wanted. Cheerleading.

She made Buffy sit and watch hours of it on TV, then do the routines in the back yard. But lately, her mom had stopped that for which she would be grateful for the rest of her life. Her mom's new hobby was books. Lots of old books. She was always reading or doing something from them. She didn't know what, exactly, but it kept her out of Buffy's hair, so that was good enough. And it gave her more time with her friends.

Once in the office, she found out what they wanted: a tour guide. She was to show the new guy around and help him out for the day. The guy was still in the office with Ms. Summers, so she waited in the outer office area.

Then the door opened and he walked out. On his way out, he said back over his shoulder.

"See you later, Joyce."

Buffy couldn't believe it - someone calling the principal by their first name! She waited for an explosion from the office that never came. Only a "See you later, too, Xander."

"Ah... my tour Guide?" he asked Buffy, who sitting with her books pulled close to her chest, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Yes," she answered, taking quick looks over his shoulder at the principal's office. She just knew that Ms. Summers would storm out and get him for calling her by her first name.

But that didn't happen.

The walk through the school was no fun for her. Everyone was watching them. She so didn't want to be the center of attention. She got too much of that from her mom. Always pushing.

But she did like the company. Xander, as he liked her to call him, was friendly, and funny. He would make these little jokes every now and then to break any silence that started between them. He kept her talking, in a few minters, he had found out just about everything about her. She still didn't say anything about her mom, but he knew about her friends, classes, where she lived, where to go have fun in town.

And he promised to meet her at the Bronze tonight.

After she had shown him the school and where his classes would be, she left him. She felt good for the first time in a long time. She talked to someone she didn't know, and who didn't know how crazy her mother was. The whole school still talked about how her mom used to come to cheerleader tryouts wearing her old uniform.

Here was a 38-year old woman at school, in a cheerleader outfit, wanting to try out for the team. She only left after Ms. Summers (Well, back then was it was Mrs. Snyder. How such a nice lady could marry that guy was beyond her) pulled her aside and talked to her. Buffy had almost died of embarrassment that week. Harmony and the rest of the cheerleaders never let up about her mom. And as soon as it was all over the school, everyone was backing off from her. Like because her mom was crazy, it made her crazy. The only people that stood by her were Willow and Jessie.

Later that day, Buffy and her friends were standing around their lockers when Larry came by. He was in the middle of a little bulling when voice from behind him stopped him cold.

"Hey, ladies," Xander said, standing behind Larry

"New kid, go away."

"Why? Just wanted to see the local asshole at work."

Everyone just looked at him. No one talked to Larry like that. And from the color of his face, the new kid was dead meat.

"I'll give you one more chance to walk away," Larry said. This new guy, something was bothering him about him. And it looked like He wasn't going to back down.

Looking past him, at Buffy, Xander asked, "Hey, can I get a copy of your notes from English class?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

Just as she finished, Larry swung. Xander just caught his fist, not even looking as he did so.

"Thanks. These your friends?" he asked without even looking at Larry.

"Yes, this is Willow and Jessie," Buffy said, nodding her head from one to the other.

"Nice to meet you," He smiled at them. Then Xander looked at Larry.

"You still here?"

Larry was just going to say something, when Xander felt someone move up behind him.

"Mr. Harris," the cool voice from behind him said. "First day, and already

fighting."

Xander turned to face Assistant Principal Snyder.

"Hello sir," Xander said. "Just getting to know the other students."

"All of you move along." Snyder yelled at the students standing around.

"Harris, I will let you go this time. But if you cause one more bit of trouble, you will be out of here so fast, your clothes will have to catch up. Now, go to class."

The rest of the day was on the good side of bad, Xander decided. Some of his classes were even kind of fun. Even had Buffy and her friends in some of them. And the big thing? NO vampires. He was free again to just be Xander.

That evening.

Xander was in his room getting ready to go out to the Bronze. Joyce was walking by the room and saw him going through his clothes.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just going out to meet some friends I made at school."

"Where to?" She certainly didn't want him to be sliding back into his old ways.

"Just a club. Some people from school hang out there."

"Who?"

"Buffy, and her friends," he said, looking down at his clothes so as not to look at her.

"Uh-huh," Joyce said as she looked at his clothes, as she thought to herself, "Thank god it wasn't the O'Toole kid. Buffy was a safe kid to hang out with, and she needed more friends, what with her mother being a bit of a looney-toon. She didn't know how Buffy dealt with her.

"So that's what you're wearing?" she said, looking at the pile of clothes he had on his bed. "Wear the black. Girls like the 'bad boy' thing."

Xander came to complete stop, stunned. His foster Mother was giving him advice on how to get a girl?

Joyce smiled at little at the look on Xander's face, then said, "You're too easy. Just go have fun, but not too much and be back by 10. Ok?"

"Ok, back by 10." He wasn't going to push his first day here. Maybe later. Right now, life was getting better. At least, it looked like he had a chance at it.

Later that night, on the way to the Bronze, he found out that life would not be as good as he thought it would be.

And if you run away from something, something might come looking for you.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Sunnydale through the mirror part 2

Author: Robert to archive: just let me know where.

Pairing/Characters: none as of yet

Rating: pg

The Bronze.

Buffy and Willow were sitting watching Jessy try to get one of the Jocks to talk to her. It so wasn't going well. He just looked through her, but she kept it up.

"Should we go get her?" Willow asked.

"Nope, she hasn't been shot down enough yet," Buffy said with a grin, watching one of her oldest friends act all goo-goo over a blonde with big muscles.

"So, Xander going to show tonight?" Willow asked. Looking her friend over, She remembered how both she and Jessy had pulled Buffy aside this afternoon after the new guy had stopped Larry from his daily bullying.

"He said he would." Buffy certainly hoped so, it was nice to talk to him. But soon as he found out about her mom, he would disappear like all the other guys she liked.

"Oh, I found out something about him too," Willow paused. "He left the school in Ms. Summers car."

"So she gave him a ride home," the blond told the redhead. "He might live next door or something."

"Or something is right; he lives at the same address," Willow said, looking over at her friend. "She took him in, that's why she was all over the place to stop the PTA starting something about him moving here."

"What? Why? She his aunt or something?"

"Nope, new mom," Willow said, waggling her eyebrows. "You know, my mom is on the PTA ."

"Yeah. Just a regular Harper Valley we got here." Most of the meetings were spent talking about who was sleeping with whom, while trying to keep anyone from finding out who you were sleeping with.

"Well, she said she took him as a foster kid. It was going through before the divorce; she wanted kids and Snyder shoots blanks," the redhead gossiped. "Anyway, she got the kid and the home, and Snyder got a small apartment across town. Then she got the big job, too."

"What about Xander?"

Buffy really didn't care what happens to Snyder, not after some of the things he had said about her and her mother, and the fact that he couldn't have kids was a blessing from God. She knew her life was hell and home, what kind of life would kids have Snyder?

"Nothing much. Just that he's standing over by the door."

Buffy whipped her head around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash, only to not see Xander and then hear a chuckle from Willow.

"Buffy's got her first Crush. My, how she's grown up."

Willow sat there, wiping a non-tear from her eyes as she smiled at Buffy, who gave her one of her very best death glares that she would only glare at her friend and then only if they were pissing her off.

"I am not bothered by your glare of death,": Willow advised her. "Oh, look at that," she said, pointing behind Buffy, who once again looked.

There was nothing there, however, and when she looked back to her friend, Willow was gone. It was one of her many defenses against the Glare. Buffy saw her moving off to the bar to get a drink.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Buffy called to her friend, who just smiled and ordered some drinks, one for her and one for Buffy as a peace offering.

A few streets over

Xander was walking to the Bronze.

Joyce had offered to drop him off and pick him up, but that was so not going to happen. Who wants to show up at a club with your mom? Certainly not him.

He had crashed a few raves while on the streets in LA; he knew how to handle himself and this was Sunnydale - nothing bad happens here.

Then he felt a twinge he hadn't felt anything like in a while. Not since Lothos. He moved a little faster, watching the alleys as he passed.

He didn't even have a stake with him, he realized nervously. After all, he didn't need one. They were gone – no more vampires. There couldn't be; he had killed them all.

Just as he passed one alley, an arm shot out and pulled him in. He fought back until it spun him around. The yellow eyes of a vampire looked back at him.

"Oh, Hello," it said to him. "You're just in time."

Xander just looked at him in surprise, as the vampire went for the kill.

Only to be knocked away from him.

Standing behind the vampire was a beautiful girl. She just shook her head.

"You're the Slayer?" she asked, with another shake. Turning, she threw a stake, hitting the vampire in the heart and turning it to dust.

"Some Slayer. Don't you even have a stake?"

"No, they were all gone," Xander said, still shaking from the encounter.

Here," she said, handing him another stake. "Maybe if you were a girl, this wouldn't have happened."

"Wait a minute, and slow the estrogen wagon down. How the HELL does that have to do with me having a stake or not?"

"Duh. If you were a girl, you would have had a something to protect yourself in a dark street. A mace or at least a stake."

"Mace wouldn't have stopped him."

"Not Mace. A Mace," she said with another shake of her head.

"Oh, one more thing," the dark beauty said. "Tell your Watcher, the Harvest is coming."

"What Watcher" Xander said, watching the girl. "My watcher is dead."

"Well, duh," the dark haired girl said, while thinking, These Slayers get dumber and dumber. "Not the dead one. You have one here in town; she's looking for you."

"Where is she?"

He wanted to know so he could go in the other direction as fast as he could. There was no way he would get in the middle of this again. He had started to make friends; he had a family again. There was no way he would got back to Slaying.

"I don't know where she is now. I am so not her or your keeper," she said with a snippy voice.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"A friend."

"What if I don't want you as a friend."

"Well, doofus, I never said I was your friend." With that the girl turned and walked into the shadows and was gone.

"Great. Disappearing girls. What next?" Xander looked around fast. "Did I say that out loud?"

Making sure nothing else was in the shadows, he headed off to the Bronze.

Bronze upstairs.

Jenny watched the kids dance and flirt downstairs from her position on the second floor of the club.

She had been in Sunnydale now for a week. She had moved into her new job at the school, as the new Librarian, and had moved all her books in. Along with the weapons.

All she needed now was the Slayer. The spell she cast last night said she should have arrived today, but the only new student was Alexander Harris. Which was funny, as the Slayer's name was Alexandra Harris.

But she had looked into it, and made sure it wasn't a typo. He was, indeed, a he and so could not have been the Slayer.

Merrick had told the Council that the new Slayer was a little different and not to send anyone else around her 'til he had something figured out. But now that he was dead, Jenny would get the chance to be a Watcher for a Slayer.

She had wanted that for so long, not that she wanted anything to happen to anyone else. But for a Watcher, it was the ultimate goal, and now she had it.

She still didn't understand how she managed to get it, though. She had had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get here.

First, she was an American. Most, if not all, Watchers were English. Then there was the fact that she was more of a free spirit than most Watchers, too.

But Quentin Travers had chosen her, even before that Wesley guy, who was so far up Travers' butt that he could taste what Travers was eating. And he had even overlooked her family back ground.

So she knew something was up with this assignment. What it was, exactly, she didn't know yet. But that was of no matter now. She was here and he was there and with luck, she would never meet him again.

As she stood up there, watching the crowd below, she was trying to figure out if there were any Vampires here, but she just couldn't find any, even though she knew there had to be some. After all, a lot of Students went missing after they come here.

Just then, the new student from school walked in. Alexander, she remembered as she watched him. She noticed that his clothing was a little messed.

Like he had been in a fight, she thought. And his walk - it wasn't the walk of a teenager, it was the walk of a predator. She had seen the walk before while watching tapes of Slayers.

Vampires had the walk, too...

Was he a vampire? she though. He had the look, the black clothes, the watching looking for a easy mark. Then he saw something and moved off toward a blonde sitting alone - that Buffy girl who just about lived in her library.

Seeing that, she knew she had to do something. She picked up her bag, felt around in it to make sure she still had her stake, then moved off to save the poor girl. While again wishing she had her Slayer here.

Xander had seen Buffy from the doorway of the Bronze and was making his way to her, when he felt a sharp pain in his back. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw a beautiful older lady with a stake in his back.

"This is just not my night," Xander sighed.

"Come on, let's take this out side," the woman whispered, tugging on his arm.

Willow was on her way back to Buffy when she saw what was happening and followed them outside.

Once outside

Jenny pulled back to stake him but felt something she shouldn't feel, body heat. The Boy just stood watching her, as she felt him up, then put a hand on his neck to feel his pulse, all the while the stake at the ready.

"So, Watcher, huh?" Xander said easily. He knew he could take the stake from the woman at anytime, but he didn't want to hurt her. And from the way her hands were shaking, she was scared out of her mind.

Jenny nearly dropped her stake when he said that. He knew what a Watcher was! This was bad! No one know about Watchers; they were the back up. She needed her Slayer.

"H...h...how do you know that name?" Jenny finally got out. This kid was really scaring her. He had a pulse, but moved like a predator. He knew about Watchers so he probably know about Slayers, too.

Could he be hunting the Slayer? He did show at the same time as the Slayer was supposed to.

"Easy, there," Xander said, grinning a little. "I was the Slayer."

"What," Jenny drew back in surprise. "Slayers are girls."

"Not this time," Xander just shrugged his shoulders. "I think God wanted to see if a man could do it better this time."

"Man..." Jenny looked his up and down. "Kind over-estimating yourself, aren't you?"

"Hey, all man here," Xander all but yelled. "And, anyway, I quit. Find yourself another one."

"Hey, not that I believe you, but if you're the Slayer, what your last Watcher's name?"

Jenny didn't know if she believed him at all, but if he was telling the truth then the way Merrick acted would make sense.

"His name was Merrick. Now tell your friend I told you the Harvest is coming."

Xander started to turn and leave.

"What friend? I just got here the other day and have been looking for you."

"Tall, dark, deadly with a stake. Looks like a Victoria Secrets model, but without the running around in her underwear."

"Alexander," Jenny started, "if you're the Slayer, you can't walk away from it. It's what you are, not who you are."

"Nope, I am not. I am just a guy," he said, starting to walk off again.

"If you sit back and do nothing how many will die?" Jenny said, trying to reason with him. If he could not be reasoned with, she would have to call the Council and she had a good ideal what they would do next. Not something she wanted to do, really, but the needs of the many and all that…

"I don't know them." Xander had stopped, his head down.

That's what bothered him the most. He was not a selfish person, but he wanted out. He had killed his master vampire and now he was out; it was in the rules - you win and it's over. Not, you win, then the next big bad comes after you.

"Think of your mother, your father." Jenny could see she had him, she just needed to start pulling him back slowly.

"Mom's dead and dad is off doing whatever he wants to."

"Who are you staying with?"

"Mrs. Summers," Xander said, looking of his shoulder at her, his eyes filling with something, she didn't know what.

"Ok, so you're staying with my boss. But what can you do to protect her and others? If you do nothing, they could die very bloody and painful ways. If you fight for them, they could live a long time. Tell you what - you think about it. And if you want to help them, come see me, at the library. If you don't, then you can sit back and watch them all fall one at a time. This is the Hellmouth here."

"Hellmouth?" Xander turning to the Watcher, to see if he could tell if she was lying.

"The mouth to hell. Every nightmare you have had is here; every thing that goes bump in the night. And the Slayer's job is make sure that they get bumped, first."

"I'll think about it." Xander turned and all but ran back into the Bronze.

Jenny just smiled.

Got him. she thought, then turned and headed home while, unknown to both Xander and Jenny, some people had overheard everything that had went on.

After both Jenny and Xander were gone, Willow stood up from behind a trash can.

It had stunk to high heaven back there, but the more the two talked, the more she wanted to listen.

Willow looked both ways, then said, "What the hell was that about?"

She knew she had to find out more. If they were crazy, she needed to keep them away from Buffy and Jessy.

Also watching from a neat by roof top, Cordy asked, "Victoria Secret model?", then turned and jumped to the next building.


End file.
